Another month has passed in my 2012 Reading Challenge {12 books in 12 months}, and I am kind of shocked that I managed to read THREE books this month.

This is partly due to the fact that we had almost a week away kid-less, and I got to do some reading.  We had a 5 to 6 hour drive, AND since our anniversary is always during March Madness, it gave me something fun to do while Chris was otherwise occupied.

What’s funny is that since we didn’t date a full year, I had never been with him during March Madness prior to the week we got married!

If I known of his lapse into basketball coma, I perhaps would have rethought the date of our wedding, honeymoon, and all subsequent anniversary trips.  :)

Really, though, the only games he watched intently were Sunday and Thursday so that wasn’t too bad.  :)

I’m so excited to share the amazing book, Loving God with all your Mind by Elizabeth George.

I have read lots of her other books, my favorite being A Woman After God’s Own Heart, and I am definitely one of her big fans, but I had never read this one.

I don’t want to sound overly dramatic since that is so not like me, but I think this book was truly life changing.

After I read the first chapter or two, I mentioned to Chris that it was almost as if I were reading a book HE WROTE for me.

He has always tried to be my voice of reason, but I have not always been ready to take heed.

So much of our behavior, right or wrong, stems from our thinking… our mind.

The foundational truth of the book is to control our racing thoughts of worry, speculation, and fear by remember the simple truth from Philippians 4:8.

Think on things that are true… or REAL.

As a natural worrier and speculator this was very eye-opening for me.  So much of what I let consume my thoughts are things that simply aren’t REAL.  They are things that MAY happen or things I hear that have happened to others. Thoughts about my kids and what harm they may come to.

I’m an analytical person, so that means I like to over think things a little too much sometimes.  It can be a good thing, but often it snowballs into worry or fear that becomes very counterproductive.  

George focuses on NOT letting our minds get carried way with our fears, and instead focus on promises from Scripture about our fears and God’s love and protection.

Another layer to it comes into play when we imagine what others really meant by what they said, or what they really think of me based on my sometimes imagined perception.  If I’m thinking on things that are REAL, then I must respond based on what was ACTUALLY said or done… NOT on what I thought I saw between the lines.

How much easier to live my life in that way? Without worrying about what was unsaid, and only focusing my time and attention on what WAS said.

Think on things that are R-E-A-L.  A extremely simple truth but a very powerful tool to reign in our minds and in turn go on to greater growth spiritually.

If you are a worrier, or an analyzer, you MUST read this book and let it change your thinking!!

Here is a free printable for you with that reminder …

I will definitely need it, I’m sure.

{Just right click, choose ‘save as,’ and save to your computer.}

And even better than a free printable, Harvest House agreed to give a copy of this awesome book to ONE OF YOU!! 

WAHOO!!!

Just follow the directions on the Rafflecopter box below!  Remember… leaving a blog comment is the ONLY required entry, so unfortunately, your entry will be voided if you skip that part.  :(

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends next Tuesday at midnight!!

I’ll be back soon to chat about the other two fiction books!  They were absolutely phenomenal. Not kidding.